The following description relates to a wall trimming element, and in particular, a wall trimming element having a corner protector positioned around a joint of adjacent wall segments or a corner of a wall to cover the joint or corner.
In commercial settings, corners of walls or joints of adjacent wall segments may be subject to accelerated wear. For example, in hospitals, hotels, restaurants, stores, offices or other public areas with increased foot or equipment traffic, a corner or joint of a wall may be subject to increased levels of contact from persons or equipment maneuvering around the corner or joint. In one example, a hotel lobby or hallway may include foot traffic as well as luggage and bell cart traffic. The persons, luggage or carts may contact the wall corners or joints, for example, as they maneuver through a hallway or enter another room.
Increased contact with the wall corners or corner joints may cause premature wear on the wall. For example, contact between a person, luggage, cart or other moving object against the corner of the wall may result in scrapes, scratches and/or gouges in a finishing layer on the corner of the wall. In other situations, the contact may be forceful enough to damage the wall itself, by removing wall material or damaging a wall covering such as wallpaper. This increased wear or damage to the walls may be aesthetically displeasing. Efforts to maintain or repair worn or damaged portions of the wall may be time consuming and costly, and provide only temporary solutions. In addition, contact between persons or objects, such as luggage, carts or equipment with exposed wall corners may lead to injury to the person or damage the object.
Corner protectors have been developed to be fitted around corners of walls. Corner protectors are typically made of a plastic, rubber, polymer or other wear resistant material. The corner protectors extend around the corner so that the corner is not directly exposed to contact from persons or objects. The corner protectors may be formed of a thickness sufficient to protect the corner or joint of the wall from wear or damage resulting from contact with persons or objects. Likewise, the corner protectors may protect the persons or objects from injury or damage resulting from contact with the corner of the wall.
One type of corner protector is secured, for example, by adhesive, nails, or screws, over the corner of a finished wall. As a result, the corner protectors project outward from the wall a distance corresponding to the thickness of the bead. That is, traditional corner protectors are not flush with the wall to which they are secured. As result, the corner protectors, at their ends projecting from the wall, are susceptible to catching onto persons or objects moving past the beads. This contact may cause the corner protector to separate from the wall, thereby damaging the wall and reducing the effectiveness of the corner protector. Moreover, such corner protectors may not be aesthetically pleasing because of how far they extend out from the corner.
Other corner protectors are known that are of a two-piece design. A first piece or mount mounts to the corner by, for example, mechanical fasteners, adhesive or the like. A second piece or cover is secured to the mount. The cover can be permanent or replaceable. However, these two-piece deigns suffer from the same or even exaggerated drawbacks in that they extend even further from the corner than the one-piece design.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a wall trimming element for placement around a corner of a wall or joint of adjacent wall segments that is flush or near flush with the surrounding wall. Desirably, such a corner protector is integrated into the wall/corner structure and has a low profile relative to the wall adjacent to it. More desirably still, such a bead provide provides protection from inadvertent contact with the corner, is aesthetically pleasing and can be incorporated into or incorporate wall finishes, including paint and/or wall coverings such as wallpaper.